The invention concerns an incontinence article in the form of pants for the absorption of body excretions, comprising a front belly portion and a rear back portion, which are connected to one another at lateral seam regions on both sides at the manufacturer's to form a belly and back band which is continuous in the transverse or peripheral hip direction and has a hip opening that is closed in the peripheral hip direction, and comprising a crotch portion, which has an absorbent body and extends in a longitudinal direction between the belly portion and the back portion and is undetachably joined to the belly portion and to the back portion, wherein the crotch portion, the belly portion and also the back portion define the leg openings of the incontinence article. An incontinence article of this type comprising three components is e.g. disclosed in WO 2004/052260 A1. This specific product concept realizes an H-shaped basic structure of the incontinence article after joining the crotch portion that extends in the longitudinal direction to the belly portion that substantially extends in the transverse or peripheral hip direction and to the correspondingly extending back portion in a state in which all three components are flatly spread out. The incontinence article is then modularly formed from the crotch portion, belly portion and back portion components. These components are initially advantageously connected to each other via the crotch portion and the belly portion and the back portion are advantageously subsequently connected at their mutual lateral seam regions. This connection is realized at the manufacturer's to obtain the form of pants. This connection is typically undetachable. The pant shape may, however, also be detachable along a predetermined breaking line which may extend, in particular, in the lateral seam region, e.g. for removing a used incontinence article from a person in need of care.
In principle, incontinence articles in the form of pants differ from incontinence articles in the form of normal diapers that can be conventionally opened and closed in that the hip size is generally predetermined and adjustment to different body sizes is obtained by providing a number of basic sizes and by providing an article that can be elastically stretched. Towards this end, elastification means, in particular in the form of bands or threads, frequently called Lycra threads, are connected in a pre-stretched state (stretch-bond method) to chassis materials of the incontinence article, i.e. they are fixed in a pre-stretched state to the chassis materials e.g. using adhesive. Due to their pretension, these elastification means gather the chassis materials and thereby form folds. The incontinence article or the elasticised chassis materials of the incontinence article can be elastically stretched again when the incontinence article is applied to the user as pants. Incontinence articles in the form of pants comprising chassis materials that are elasticised in this fashion are well known and are e.g. also discussed in the above-mentioned document WO 2004/052260 A1.
For producing the H-shaped basic structure, i.e. for connecting the crotch portion to the belly portion and to the back portion, a joint must be generated between these components which is appropriate for all requirements under normal conditions of use to prevent detachment of the connection between crotch portion and belly portion or back portion under large tensile loads. Large forces are sometimes generated during wear of an incontinence article in the form of pants due to the weight of an absorbent body being loaded with a considerable amount of liquid, and due to transfer of large tensile forces within the chassis materials by the elastification means which are normally joined to the chassis materials in a stretch-bond method and also by tensile forces that are transferred by the movements of the user. It has thereby turned out that this high tensile stress surprisingly occurs both with mobile users who use the incontinence article quasi like an undergarment and also with bedridden persons in need of care whose mobility is highly limited. Due to uncontrolled and, in particular, also slow movements, the chassis materials of the incontinence article are unavoidably subjected to the generated tensile stress. The joints of the incontinence article, i.e. exactly between the crotch portion and the belly portion and between the crotch portion and the back portion are greatly stressed in exactly these situations.
When a large amount of adhesive material is used, which is applied, in particular, in an extensive fashion, for producing a stable connection between the crotch portion and the belly portion and between the crotch portion and the back portion, which connection can be constantly subjected to tension, the overlapping area between the crotch portion and the belly portion or the back portion is disadvantageously stiffened. This is perceived as being unpleasant and can also prevent the desired stretchability of the chassis materials in this area, wherein it must thereby also be mentioned that extensive elasticity is often not desired in this area. This case, however, is also problematic in that the adhesive materials prevent achievement of the desired product properties.
The use of thicker materials, i.e. materials having a high surface density, for the crotch portion for producing a stable connection between the crotch portion and the back portion and between the crotch portion and the belly portion, a connection which can be constantly subjected to tension, also disadvantageously entails extensive stiffening in the overlapping area between the crotch portion and the belly portion or the back portion.
Materials having a small surface density are desired due to the usual associated flexibility and therefore improved adjustability and, in particular, also the softness for the design of the crotch portion. However, flat arrangement of such materials on other components, such as the back portion or the belly portion, is often only possible to a limited degree due to their insufficient natural stability, with the disadvantageous result of less stable connections due to non-planar supporting surfaces, i.e. surfaces which are not free from folds.
Departing therefrom, it is the underlying purpose of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems, i.e. in particular, to form a stable connection between the crotch portion and the belly portion and/or between the crotch portion and the back portion of an incontinence article in the form of pants of this type without thereby impairing the wear comfort or consequently further impairing the functionality of the incontinence article.